You Can’t Lead by Following

By Craig Arthur

Once you are consciously aware, universal principles (or truths) seem to pop up everywhere. Currently in Australia, BT Financial Group is running a great series of ads in major newspapers. Each ad is brief and makes one point with regards to investing. Each ad forms part of an ongoing campaign. Each ad uses a simple story which they then relate to an investing philosophy. I am not sure if these ads are currently being run on TV or Radio but they should be.

Below is one ad in the series.

Investing Truths:

Avoid chasing quick returns.

You can’t lead by following.

It actually is unusual, but Tom Jones has been topping the charts for over four decades. He’s managed to have hit after hit in the fickle music business but significantly never by following the latest fads or altering his identity.

Constantly making changes or moving investments to last year’s best performing asset class is unlikely to work either. In the long run, it’s better to develop a plan that suits the end goals and give it some time to work.

BT Financial Group

Now… the above advice is not just for investing… this is where universal principles come in.

Let’s substitute a couple of words and turn this into a lesson in advertising.

“Constantly making changes or moving your advertising dollars to last year’s best performing TV shows or radio station’s is unlikely to work either. In the long run, it’s better to develop a plan that suits the end goals and give it some time to work.”

In the Wizard of Ads 12 Most Common Mistakes in Advertising, common mistake number one is…The Desire for Instant Gratification.

Once you're consciously aware, it’s amazing where you will find advertising lessons.

It is my goal to make you aware.